Building Design articles from June 2007

Building Design archives from June 2007

Tories blast Livingstone over skyscraper frenzy.
June 1, 2007... Cameron's policy group accuses architects of pandering to the `vulgarity of bigness' Tom de Castella & Will Hurst The politician formulating Tory policy on the built environment has launched an unprecedented attack on tall buildings,...

EMERGING POLICY FROM THE TORIES.
June 1, 2007... * Abolish Arb, possibly by giving the RIBA responsibility to register architects * Scrap Building Regulations, replacing them with a set of standards to improve energy efficiency * Reduce red tape, so planning is not needed for...

As mayor relaxes rules on height.
June 1, 2007... Historic views in London to St Paul's Cathedral and Westminster have been narrowed after the government backed mayor Ken Livingstone's relaxation of tall buildings rules. Communities secretary Ruth Kelly approved the narrowing of 10 protected...

Guy's facade is a wrap.(contract between Guy's Hospital and Thomas Heatherwick)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... Work is nearly complete on this modular structure by Thomas Heatherwick beneath Guy's Hospital tower in London. The facade, which acts as a "wrapping" to cover the existing boiler house, features individual stainless-steel braid panels which...

LEADER: Stuck in the old buffer zone.(innovative buildings of London, a danger to the skyline)
June 1, 2007... AMANDA BAILLIEU The Tories don't seem to grasp that innovative architecture benefits our cities and culture How does the confident new Conservative Party think modern cites should develop? An insight was given last week by shadow arts...

LEADER: The Polish invasion.(Polish architects in Britain)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... A year ago BD reported on the huge number of foreign architects who were working in London, with nationalities from all over the world flocking to the capital to find jobs. The overwhelming feeling was that foreigners, regardless of whether...

IN BRIEF: SOM Docklands towers go ahead.(SOM granted detail planning for twin-tower)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... SOM has been granted detailed planning permission for a twin-tower, 4,900sq m mixed-use development in London's Docklands. The Arrowhead scheme, next to the Canary Wharf tower, will have office space, a public piazza, restaurant and shops....

Bruce-Lockhart to chair EH.
June 1, 2007... Sandy Bruce-Lockhart has been appointed chair of English Heritage. Lockhart, who heads the Local Government Association and is a former leader of Kent County Council, will have a key role in implementing the heritage white paper when he takes...

IN BRIEF: RSHP wins British Museum centre.
June 1, 2007... Rogers Stirk Harbour & Partners has been appointed to design a conservation centre and temporary exhibition space and at the British Museum in London. Other firms in the running included Bennetts Associates, Wilkinson Eyre, Stanton Williams and...

IN BRIEF: RIBA partners BBC on new series.
June 1, 2007... A drive to improve public access to the RIBA's archive is to be boosted by a major new BBC TV programme, How We Built Britain, to be presented by David Dimbleby and screened on BBC1 from this Sunday, June 3. The institute has revealed it...

IN BRIEF: Aedas sets out Edinburgh options.(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... Aedas has revealed three separate options for the redevelopment of Edinburgh's grade A listed Haymarket Station, including demolition. The practice has designed proposals costing between #50 million and #350 million for the 165-year-old...

Lend Lease panel for Games village.
June 1, 2007... Olympic village developer Lend Lease has confirmed plans to appoint a panel of around 40 practices to design parts of the village. As revealed exclusively in BD (News March 23), firms that make it on to the panel will compete to design...

Poland calls for its architects to return.
June 1, 2007... Exodus is denting ability to deliver major projects and infrastructure Tom de Castella Poland is facing a chronic shortage of architects because of the sheer number who have moved to the UK for work, the Association of Polish...

WHY IS POLAND HOT?(construction investments in Poland)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... EU membership Poland's government instituted a financial squeeze to gain accession to the EU. On securing membership in May 2004, it loosened the reins. New investment has since arrived, and construction is booming. Euro 2012 Co-hosting...

Architecture boosts UK's economic growth.
June 1, 2007... 9% Year-on-year growth in the services sector, which includes architecture, in the first quarter of 2007 The architectural profession is a leading player in the recent growth of the UK economy, the Office for National Statistics claims. ...

Israel petition `misguided'.
June 1, 2007... Architects including Will Alsop, Terry Farrell, Richard MacCormac and Ted Cullinan were wrong to attack Israeli architects for working in disputed territories, British and Israeli professionals said this week. The Israeli Association of...

Foreign Office Architects reveals art school plan.
June 1, 2007... Foreign Office Architects has submitted a planning application for its relocated base for Ravensbourne College of Design & Communication on the Greenwich Peninsula in south-east London. The new college building will stand on Peninsula...

King's Cross leaps over final hurdle.(King's Cross Railway Lands Group)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... James Rose and Marguerite Lazell The #2 billion redevelopment of King's Cross, masterplanned by Allies & Morrison, is finally set to go ahead after local campaigners lost a last-ditch court battle. Chief executive of developer Argent,...

FIRST LOOK: The way opens up for green Greyfriars Gate scheme.(RRA Architects planning for housing development at Hereford)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... This sustainable residential development in Hereford has been submitted for planning, by RRA Architects. The #6 million Greyfriars Gate housing development consists of 46 units located on a brownfield site adjacent to a busy A road and...

KING'S CROSS: YEARS IN THE MAKING.(railroad development plans)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... 2000 Argent selected as approved developer 2001 Argent publishes guiding principles behind its scheme, drawn up with masterplanners Allies & Morrison and Porphyrios Associates 2002 Framework for regeneration published 2004 Planning...

Four Brits on Sheffield Media Centre shortlist.(British)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... Four British practices and two foreign firms have been shortlisted by the RIBA to design a #3 million festival centre in Sheffield. The shortlisted practices, which fought off competition from 60 international applicants, include Carmody...

Make out by the river.(Carey Jones Architects plans development of 400 homes)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... This mixed-use, 400-home development by Make and Carey Jones Architects has been granted planning permission by Wandsworth council. Located in the borough's Riverside quarter, the scheme comprises six residential buildings ranging from four...

Urban Splash canal homes contest for Manchester.(competitions of architects and self-builders)
June 1, 2007... Elaine Knutt Developer Urban Splash has revealed plans for a competition to create the most architecturally diverse street in Britain. The Tutti Frutti contest, which will be launched next week, will see 26 architects and self-builders...

Brown `inspired' by Swedish eco-town.(Gordon Brown)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... A 9,000-home development in Sweden has emerged as a key inspiration behind prime minister-in-waiting Gordon Brown's eco-town initiative announced last month. Hammarby Sjostad, Sweden's largest low-carbon development, features a water...

Campus beats Kyoto targets.(enviornmental freindly campus built by Northumbria University)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... This central lightwell is part of a state-of-the-art university campus building designed by Atkins. Northumbria University's City Campus East, built by McAlpine, is intended to be 40% more energy efficient than similar buildings, pre-...

Art gateway plans `not Welsh enough'.(criticising the work done by architechtural services)
June 1, 2007... Proposals are clever but don't reflect Wales, says critic Helen Crump The former chairman of watchdog the Design Commission for Wales has criticised designs by Marks Barfield, Tonkin Liu and Ian Ritchie Architects for the country's...

SUSTAINABILITY: Liverpool to get green OAP home.(Old Assisted living facilities)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... McHugh Stoppard Architecture has received planning consent for this sustainable old people's care home in Liverpool. The building, clad in oxidised bronze-copper, will have 52 en suite bedrooms, plus communal areas. The materials used in...

URBAN FORUM: Bristol seeks design experts.(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... Bristol City Council has appealed for up to 20 expert advisers to serve on its new urban design forum. Supported by the council's urban design team, it will review major schemes and provide independent advice on design quality. The forum...

RESTORATION: South Yorkshire museum opens.
June 1, 2007... Grade I listed Cusworth Hall in Doncaster has reopened to the public following the #7 million restoration by historic building specialist Purcell Miller Tritton. The 18th century mansion, set in extensive landscaped gardens, is...

LOCAL GOVERNMENT: DCLG says local service is failing.
June 1, 2007... Only 54% of the population is satisfied with local council services, a survey by the DCLG has revealed. The findings contrast with Audit Commission data. Said Phil Woolas, local government minister: "Services have improved in the last 10...

Refurbished Festival Hall rejects claim of `vandalism'.(Royal Festival Hall)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... Helen Crump Allies & Morrison was forced to defend its #111 million Royal Festival Hall refurbishment at its official unveiling this week. Speaking at the press launch on Tuesday, Twentieth Century Society director Catherine Croft said...

LETTER: Even-handed.(Letter to the editor)
June 1, 2007... I was interested to read your front page urging Israeli architects to end works in disputed territories. I also read Will Alsop's condemnation of the situation in east Jerusalem. I trust Alsop will support Israeli architects rebuilding the town...

LETTER: No to BD politics.(Letter to the editor)
June 1, 2007... I do not think that articles carrying quotations on controversial political issues should be headline news in BD (May 25). Do we not have enough of that stuff in the general media? Have we run out of valuable architectural subjects? Surely...

LETTER: Area of conflict.(Letter to the editor)
June 1, 2007... While I applaud the government awarding grants to improve energy- inefficient homes (News April 27), it seems that giving grants to buyers of low-scoring properties would boost sales of these properties, albeit marginally, and so work against...

LETTER: African realities.(Letter to the editor)
June 1, 2007... In his review (May 18) of the RIBA South African architecture exhibitions, Tom Woolley raises some good points but he misses the target on architectural education in South Africa, particularly at the University of Cape Town, where I...

LETTER: Human league.(Letter to the editor)
June 1, 2007... Greatly though I respect Sam Webb's persistence, I fear we overlook the one feature common to the succession of errors that led to condemnation of the Ronan Point system - personal responsibility. One Saturday afternoon a gas fitter,...

LETTER: Political points.(Letter to the editor)
June 1, 2007... The RIBA, led by Jack Pringle, continues its fight for political correctness. In a primarily white society, it is not surprising that this is reflected in the make-up of the profession. Most architects achieve middle-class status, and the...

LETTER: We must object to Israeli actions.(Letter to the editor)
June 1, 2007... Michael Peters' invoking of the community of developers as a reason for not protesting against the further dismemberment of Palestine (News May 25) is in the worst tradition of intimidation. Of course some architects will succumb to such...

LETTER: Publicity is vital.(Letter to the editor)
June 1, 2007... So Michael Peters of Identica (offices in Canada, UK, USA & China), whose mission statement is "discover, create, optimise the brand experience", has reacted to our petition with the threat that we "are going to burn our bridges with a number...

OPINION: That's enough trips to the movies.
June 1, 2007... BILL MITCHELL Architects in fictional form are a staple of `brick lit', but on film they must be themselves It's the best of all those architect CDs you can now find on Amazon, with some pretty sensational stuff - the story of a young...

DEBATE: Does politics have a role to play in architecture?(Discussion)
June 1, 2007... YES Paul Hyett Chair, Ryder HKS International In 2002 as president of the RIBA I visited Bloemfontein, where I apologised to the South African Institute of Architects for any upset caused by the RIBA's decision to sever links 30 years...

WORKS: ALLIES & MORRISON - Musical chairs.(Royal Festival Hall)
June 1, 2007... PROJECT TEAM Architect: Allies & Morrison, Structural engineer: Price & Myers, M&E engineer: Max Fordham & Partners, Quantity surveyor: Davis Langdon, Auditorium acoustics: Kirkegaard Associates, Main refurbishment contractor: ISG...

RFH HISTORY 1941-2007.(Queen's Hall)(Royal Festival Hall)
June 1, 2007... Road to 1951 In 1941 the Queen's Hall, London's only large concert venue, was destroyed by an incendiary bomb. Abercrombie & Forshaws' County of London Plan of 1943 had identified the South Bank as a site for a "great cultural centre",...

HOW WE CRACKED IT: Making the skylight fantastic.
June 1, 2007... The challenge To create an intimate airport lounge focused on the sky within an existing building with low ceilings The solution To insert a new level which breaks through the roof and allows in natural light Architect:...

NEW SOLUTIONS: HEAT SEEKERS.
June 1, 2007... Wind turbines, photovoltaics - there was a time was when such sustainable ways for heating water were unheard of, but now they are so commonplace that you can pick them up at B&Q. A new product getting in on the act is Trianco Heating's...

NEW SOLUTIONS: SET IN STONE.
June 1, 2007... This comprehensive guide to ornamental stone could make reaching decisions on specification easy as it "fills the gap between scholarly works on ancient marbles and catalogues of the modern stone trade". Author Monica Price has organised it...

NEW SOLUTIONS: LIGHTLY VEILED.(aluminium facade system launched by Kalzip )(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... Kalzip has launched a new perforated aluminium facade system which it says can give uninspiring buildings - plant rooms, multistorey car parks - a contemporary feel. The lightweight facades create a "veil" effect, allowing air and light to...

SOLUTIONS: Everybody gets together - if there's a space.(development of eco freindly town)
June 1, 2007... Public space must be one of our values if we want a healthy society GREEN PIECES TREVOR BUTLER With a change in the political scene imminent, it is interesting to see how Gordon Brown's pronouncements keep changing. Will the...

CULTURE: Still king of the mod squad.(exibitions of architectural designs)
June 1, 2007... There is something for every visitor in this fabulous exhibition of Corbusier's work, says Peter Wilson EXHIBITION LE CORBUSIER - THE ART OF ARCHITECTURE Netherlands Architecture Institute, Rotterdam Until September 2007 ...

CULTURE: Wembley team disappoints fans.(lecture on architectural designs in Wembley stadium)
June 1, 2007... Norman Foster and Rod Sheard did not capitalise on a sure-fire scoring opportunity, writes Kester Rattenbury LECTURE WEMBLEY STADIUM: NORMAN FOSTER AND ROD SHEARD Union Chapel, London Last week's Architecture Foundation...

ROTTERDAM BIENNALE: Visionary Power - Producing the Contemporary City.
June 1, 2007... Researched and curated by the Berlage Institute, this is the main exhibition in the city's Kunsthal. Exploring five aspects of power within a series of discrete timber enclosures, the display counterpoints a no-nonsense analysis of these...

ROTTERDAM BIENNALE: The New Dutch City.(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... This exhibition investigates the future of large urban networks in the Netherlands. Potentially dry, both this and Visionary Power have a level of invention, vitality and optimism in design that challenge the visitor to think hard about the...

ROTTERDAM BIENNALE: A Better World, Another Power.
June 1, 2007... Exemplifying the sense of social responsibility that pervades the whole programme, this show highlights new forms of guerrilla architecture used in support of downtrodden communities. The biennale's rigorous research approach provides real...

THIS WEEK: AEDAS ARCHITECTS.
June 1, 2007... The practice has officially handed over its Leeds landmark Bridgewater Place, a 32-storey office and residential tower which also won the Variety Club's 2007 Yorkshire Property Awards gong for best commercial development. Copyright: CMP...

THIS WEEK: TREE HOUSES.
June 1, 2007... Bewilderwood, the #2 million adventure park in Norfolk, is the latest development to latch on to the craze for tree houses. The theme park, owned by children's author Tom Blofeld, nephew of legendary cricket commentator Henry, opened last week....

THIS WEEK: CYRIL SWEETT.
June 1, 2007... The quantity surveyor plans to float on the Alternative Investment Market, the junior version of the FTSE. The move would make it the only stand-alone QS to be listed. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

THIS WEEK: GLYNDEBOURNE.
June 1, 2007... Environmental groups are protesting against the Sussex opera house's plans to build a 70m-high wind turbine in its grounds. They fear it will ruin views of the downs, despite cutting CO2 emissions by 71%. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

THIS WEEK: LONDON TREES.
June 1, 2007... A London Assembly report reveals 40,000 trees in London have been chopped down in the last five years, and replaced by smaller varieties which lack the environmental benefits. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

THIS WEEK: THAMES GATEWAY.
June 1, 2007... The UK's 10th largest mortgage company, GMAC-RFC, has halted loans for Thamesmead flats, fearing over-exposure to risk. It says all lenders limit loan levels in any post-code to guard against local fluctuations. Copyright: CMP Information...

Foster hits bum note on U2 hotel.
June 8, 2007... Plans to extend famous Dublin landmark fall foul of heritage lobby Will Hurst Plans by Norman Foster and rock band U2 to revamp one of Dublin's most exclusive hotels are in jeopardy after a furious attack by the local heritage lobby....

Toronto turns out for Libeskind crystal.
June 8, 2007... Libeskind's #128 million extension to the Royal Ontario Museum prompted a staggering 40,000 Torontonians to witness the official opening last week. Known as the Crystal, the extension juts out over Bloor Street, and houses seven galleries,...

LEADER: Exposing PFI's dead hand.(constructing civil justice centre)
June 8, 2007... AMANDA BAILLIEU Manchester's fantastic new civil justice centre is proof positive of the benefits of being liberated from PFI Listening to the Lord Chancellor at the opening of Manchester's new civil justice centre last week, many...

LEADER: Olympic sign of the times.
June 8, 2007... No one seems to like the new Olympic logo. Why not? Hailed by supporters as something edgy and modern that will speak to the young, particularly when flashed up on a mobile phone, but blasted by its critics as a "puerile mess and commercial...

IN BRIEF: Tall tower record for Birmingham.
June 8, 2007... Birmingham City Council has granted planning for what will become Birmingham's tallest building. The 260m, 43-storey residential tower, designed by Glenn Howells as part of mixed-use development in the Snow Hill area, will go on site this...

IN BRIEF: Mayor's powers `threaten London'.
June 8, 2007... Extending the London mayor's powers will "threaten the fabric of the capital" and lead to inappropriate skyscrapers and a planning system mired in red tape, Westminster council leader Simon Milton has warned. In a speech to the...

IN BRIEF: McColl leaves SMC in turmoil.(SMC Group plc)(Brief article)
June 8, 2007... The founder and deputy chair of one of Britain's largest architectural firms has resigned amid warnings that practices within the SMC Group may have to close. Stewart McColl, who had already been demoted from chief executive (News February...

IN BRIEF: New Cumbernauld centre opens.(contract between Cumbernauld and Keppie Design)(Brief article)
June 8, 2007... Cumbernauld's #40 million Antonine shopping centre opened on Wednesday. The Scottish new town, which viewers voted their first choice to be knocked down in the BBC series Demolition, is 50 years old this year. The new 33,000sq m centre was...

IN BRIEF: Make plans Old Bailey neighbour.(Brief article)
June 8, 2007... Make has launched a bid to bring this bold design to the heart of the City of London. A planning application has been submitted for the nine- storey, mixed-use development next to the Old Bailey. The building, at 30 Old Bailey, features...

AHMM is 2012 masterplanner.(Allford Hall Monaghan Morris)(Brief article)
June 8, 2007... Allford Hall Monaghan Morris has won perhaps its most prestigious project yet as one of the masterplanners of the Olympic Village. AHMM was selected by the Lend Lease consortium to work on the residential elements of the village and the...

Small practices face disadvantages.(pitching for olympic projects)(Brief article)
June 8, 2007... The chair of the Strategic Forum for Construction's 2012 task group has warned that small practices still face disadvantages in pitching for Olympic projects. The recently announced basketball and fencing arenas require practices or groups...

Israel row: Safdie slams `hypocrites'.
June 8, 2007... Row escalates as Pringle condemns remarks as naive Helen Crump Israel's most famous architect, Moshe Safdie, has branded British architects "hypocritical, self-serving and hateful" for condemning his fellow countrymen's work on...

Liverpool fears for Corb event.(humidity control for Royal Institute of British Architects's Le Corbusier)(Brief article)
June 8, 2007... The first major exhibition on Le Corbusier to be held in Britain for two decades could be cancelled unless worries over the venue are resolved. The RIBA show, to be curated by the Switzerland-based Vitra Design Museum in October next year,...

Assured RA show has light touch.(royal academy )(Brief article)
June 8, 2007... COMMENT ELLIS WOODMAN This year's architecture room is the best that I have seen at a Royal Academy Summer Show. Curator Ian Ritchie hasn't overstuffed it and by painting the walls and carpeting the floor in the same Yves Klein blue,...

Archway rethink as BDP exits.(architechtural services)
June 8, 2007... Local opposition forces council to rethink controversial scheme Marguerite Lazell Britain's largest architecture practice BDP has ended its controversial involvement with the redevelopment of the Archway area of north London after a...

Memorial to honour July 7 bomb victims.
June 8, 2007... An architect or landscape architect is being sought to design a permanent memorial to the 52 people killed in the July 7 bombings in London in 2005. The Royal Parks authority has issued an Ojeu notice for the #1 million memorial, which...

Approval for scheme to replace Islington estate.(Pollard Thomas Edwards)
June 8, 2007... Pollard Thomas Edwards Architects has won planning permission to replace a London estate at risk of a Ronan Point-style collapse with a #125 million development. The scheme will employ a network of new and restored squares, reinstating the...

Media friendly.
June 8, 2007... Landscape architect Gillespies has revealed public space designs for the #400 million MediaCity:UK development in Salford. The designs include a piazza capable of holding up to 7,000 people, and a boulevard between the buildings and the...

Framework agreements hiking cost of social housing.
June 8, 2007... Will Hurst Framework agreements, which create panels of architects for use by housing associations, have increased costs without improving the quality of homes, a recent survey suggests. The research, by Phillip Dawson, a director at...

THE EFFECT OF FRAMEWORK AGREEMENTS.
June 8, 2007... * Reduce the diversity of the practices used by RSLs - 13 practices were used on average before introduction, compared with average of nine afterwards, while more than half of RSLs share them with other RSLs. * Add to costs - 92% of RSLs...

Cardiff practice wins eco-home competition.(Brief article)
June 8, 2007... A BD-sponsored design competition for a zero-carbon house with mass- market appeal has been won by the Cardiff office of Gaunt Francis Architects. The firm's Green House design was selected from a shortlist of nine by the internet and...

Expo proposed for Scotswood scheme.(Urban Initiatives Ltd.)(Brief article)
June 8, 2007... Urban Initiatives has unveiled proposals to create the UK's first "expo" as part of the initial phase of a #380 million masterplan to redevelop the Scotswood area of Newcastle. The mixed-used development would create up to 1,800 homes, 350...

Arb plans part III shake-up.(architect registration board)
June 8, 2007... Critics say proposed changes would reduce emphasis on practical skills Heidi Ancell Arb is planning a wide-ranging shake-up of the part III exam, which a former board member claims could make it more complex and costly for students...

Holt Town regeneration.
June 8, 2007... Plans by Edaw and Studio Egret West for the #1.2 billion Holt Town Waterfront housing scheme, one of the UK's largest regeneration projects, have been submitted. The 38ha urban quarter in east Manchester is expected to deliver about...

`Shared space' unsafe, says disability alliance.(Guide Dogs for the Blind)(Brief article)
June 8, 2007... A total of 19 disability organisations have joined Guide Dogs for the Blind in condemning shared surface schemes for the public realm which place roads and pavements at the same level. Members of the alliance last week called on the...